BOOK 5 MISTAKES | Harry Potter

page

Inactive

Posted: 18 years ago

Book 5 Mistakes

The cover of OotP shows Harry in the Department of Mysteries holding his wand in his left hand. However, it is clearly stated that his right arm is his wand arm.

On page 1 Harry is lying in his Aunt's Hydrangea bush, but on page 7 he is recalling that "someone magical had been near him as he lay among Aunt Petunia's dying begonias..." -

In OotP, page 60, it is describing Number Twelve, Grimmauld place by saying: "The silver door knocker was in the form of a twisted serpent. There was no keyhole or letterbox." However, it clearly shows on the title page (the drawing of Snuffles exiting Number Twelve) that there is a keyhole, and no letter box. -

In chapter 5, page 86, third paragraph, it reads: "... and then," choked Mundungus, tears running down his face, "and then if you'll believe it 'e says to me, 'e says, ''ere, Dung, where didja get all those toads from 'cos some son of a Bludger's gone and nicked all mine!' And I says, 'Nicked all your toads, Will, what next? So you'll be wanting some more, then?' And if you'll believe me lads, the gormless gargoyle buys all 'is own toads orf me for twice what 'e paid in the first place--" But two paragraphs down, he says "But, you know Molly, Will nicked 'em orf Warty Harris in the first place, so I wasn't really doing nothing wrong--" How could Will buy all his own toads of Dung for twice what he paid in the first place if he stole the toads? He wouldn't have paid anything! - .

On page 166, chapter 9, "The Woes of Mrs. Weasley", it says: He pretended to be rummaging for something while Hermione crossed to the wardrobe and called Hedwig down. A few moments passed; Harry heard the door close but remained bent double, listening...He straightened up and looked behind him. Hermione and Hedwig had gone. Harry hurried across the room, closed the door"...Yet, Harry had already heard the door close.

In OotP, American Edition, Hard cover version on page 180 it says: "The horses that were in front of him, gleaming solidly in the dim light issuing from the station windows behind them, vapour rising from it's nostrils in the chilly night air." Before this line Harry tells Ron that he can see the skeletal horses but Ron can't see them. Yet even if he couldn't actually see the horses he should have been able to see the vapour rising from no where.

Second-year student Dennis Creevey goes to the Hog's Head for the first DA "meeting", but only third-years and older are allowed to go to Hogsmeade during term.

In Chapter XIII: Detention with Dolores, starting on page 234 (259 USA), Professor Grubbly-Plank states: "I want a sketch from each of you with all body-parts labelled by the end of the lesson." The inconsistencies are noticable at the end of that class, as on page 235 (260 USA) "When the bell echoed distantly over the grounds, Harry rolled up his blood-stained Bowtruckle picture and marched off . . ." On page 238 (264 USA) Harry says that they all (specifically Ron and Hermione) have tons of homework, including to ". . . finish the Bowtruckle drawing . . ." and again it's mentioned on page 241 (268 USA), and on page 242 (269 USA) he skips lunch to finish it. Wasn't it due at the end of the original class, and therefore not homework?-

In Order of the Phoenix, UK Edition Pg 340 it says "...But Harry pulled out his Charms books and set to work on finishing his essay...' However, the excerpts from the Charms book have nothing to do with charms - they sound like potion ingredients. '...Therefore much used in Confusing and Befuddlement Droughts...' Then, after his conversation with Dobby on page 342, 'He (Harry) bent and picked up his Potions book. He'd have to try and finish the essay tomorrow.' It appears that Harry's Charms essay magically tranformed into a Potions essay.

In OotP, U.S. version, Chapter 17, Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four, page 364 states: "'Yes,' said Harry furiously. Snape had already given them homework, and he had Quidditch practice this evening; this would mean another couple of sleepless nights." But they would not have practice due to decree Number 24 banning all organizations, societies, teams, groups, and clubs. Because they didnt get permission to reform the team until page 376.

Educational Decree 24 bans all clubs, defining a club as "a regular meeting of three or more students," so shouldn't Harry, Ron, and Hermione get in trouble just for studying together every night? - .

Before the first Quidditch match, Harry is relieved that it's cloudy as he won't have the sun in his eyes, but moments later the stadium is in "dazzling sunlight".

Chapter 21, page 454, American edition: At the last DA meeting prior to Christmas, the DA members are reviewing the stunning spell and the book states, "Space was really too confined to allow them all to work this spell at once: half the group observed the others for a while, then they swapped over." Since the Room of Requirement gives you exactly what you need, wouldn't it give them the necessary space as well? -

In OotP, pg 477 of the US paperback edition, it says that Sirius "raised his wand as he spoke and half a dozen bottles came flying toward them." If Sirius went to Azkaban, the Ministry would surely have taken his wand away from him. It would still be in their possession. He didn't have a wand in PoA, so he had to use Ron's or anyone else that dropped theirs. Where did his suddenly appear from? -

In the British version of book 5 on page 480, when naming the death eaters who escaped, it says, "Algernon Rookwood, convicted of leaking ministry of magic secrets to he who must not be named." and in the British version of book 4 on page 512 it states: "Rookwood? said Crouch, nodding to a witch sitting in front of him, who began scribbling upon her piece of parchment. Augustus Rookwood of the Department of Mysteries?

In the hardback US edition of Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 24 (Occlumency), page 526, it says: "That bossy woman up front 'oo got on with you, she's given us a little tip to move you up the queue. We're just going to let Madam Marsh off first, though--" There was more retching from downstairs, followed by a horrible spattering sound. "She's not feeling 'er best." Nowhere did it say that they had heard retching, so why did it say 'more retching'?

When Cho and Harry walk into Hogsmeade together on Valentine's Day, Cho recalls their first Quidditch match against each other. She reminds Harry it was in "the third year"--but that was Harry's third year and her fourth.

In the hard cover American Edition of Order of the Phoenix, Ch. 27, page 609, Umbridge's grip is described as "vicelike". It should be "viselike." -

On page 625 (UK edition), 1st paragraph, it says: "You will sit the theory papers in the mornings and the practice in the afternoons." The word practice should be practical. -

On page 660 in the US Order of the Phoenix(Hard Cover), when Hermione is trying to convince Harry not to break into Umbridge's office, it says that "For the first time ever, she (Hermione) was at least as inattentive to Professor Binns in History of Magic..." But on page 569 in the US version of Goblet of Fire, it says that "Even Hermione wasn't taking her usual notes." So it would be the second time.-

On pages 662-663 of the U.S. hardback edition, in "Career Advice" ch. 29, Professor McGonagall seems to make a mistake. She tells Harry that he will need a minimum of five N.E.W.T.s. But only four are listed: Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms, and Potions. What happened to the fifth subject? -

In book five, chapter 30, Grawp, pages 683 and 684, at the Gryffindor/Ravenclaw Qidditch match, it says: "They (Harry & Hermione) found seats in the topmost row of the stands." Later on, when Hagrid comes to take them to see Grawp, it says: "Apparently he [Hagrid] had squeezed his way all along the row behind." How can that be if Harry and Hermione were in the top row? -

In the Astronomy O.W.L. exam, Harry is completing his drawing of the constellation of Orion. At England's latitude Orion would only be visible approximately from November until March. However, they are taking their exams in June. -

On page 709 (UK edition), 4th paragraph, it says: "Harry flung the prophecy across the floor, Neville span himself around on his back and scooped the ball to his chest. Malfoy pointed the wand instead at Neville, but Harry jabbed his own wand back over his shoulder and yelled, 'Impedimenta!'" It should read "Neville spun himself," instead of "Neville span himself." - .

POn page 710 it says that Parvati and Lavender were practicing basic locomotion charms making their pencil cases race each other. They use scrolls and quills, what would they be doing with pencil cases? - .

When Harry and Co. are in the forbidden forest trying to find a way to get to the Department of Mysteries, Ginny says that the Thestrals will be attracted to the blood on Harry and Hermione's clothing because Hagrid uses meat to attract them. However, Ginny is a fourth year and Hagrid said specifically that he had been saving the Thestral lesson for his fifth year class, so how did she know?

There's an illustration mistake in chapter thirty-eight, The Second War Begins. Nymphadora Tonk's t-shirt is supposed to say 'The Weird Sisters'. In the illustration, you can't see all of the writing, but if you look closely you can see that only an 'erd' is visible on the first line. Since 'weird' has an 'i' after the 'e', the 'i' should be visible as well--but it's not. -.

Harry is able to see the Thestrals at the beginning of Order of the Phoenix. It is later explained that you can see them after you have seen death. Harry had seen the death of his mother and possibly his father before he saw Cedric Diggory die, so why didn't he see the Thestrals before? - JKR's response: You can't see them until the death "sinks in."

In the OotP Chapter 5 Ginny "was sitting on the floor cross-legged on the floor, rolling butterbeer corks for him (Crookshanks) to chase." But later in Chapter 10 saw that Luna Lovegood "had chosen to wear a necklace of butterbeer caps..."

Possible Explanation: There are different types of Butterbeer bottles with different types of tops. - bed,' said Mr. Weasley. Harry dropped his own eyes to his plate. The thought that Dumbledore had been in the house on the eve of his hearing and not asked to see him made him feel, if that were possible, even worse." But the hearing is the following morning from that. So Dumbledore wasn't there on the eve of the hearing, but two nights before! -

Possible explanation: It's possible that Dumbledore came after midnight, which would be considered the eve of the hearing, but is still sometimes referred to as "last night" by people. This is more than likely because the book also says that Harry was not sleeping well, and maybe he could not fall asleep until past midnight. -
In the chapter The Sorting Hat in the first book on page 121, a "Perks, Salley-Anne" is sorted before Harry; however, in the fifth book (page 713) she is not called to take her O.W.L.S. -
Possible Explanation: Salley-Anne Perks may have left the school between books 1 and 5.